Stealing Spree

“Will you be fine, Auntie? Don’t you need me to come with you to the police station?”

Right before the front door, I raised a question to the woman seeing me off. It’s time for me to leave. Because of what happened, the competition was held off or rather, canceled. It already lost its meaning and there were more urgent things to do.

Auntie has already returned to normal and with a rather determined look on her face, she’s going to the police station to file a case.

From the result of the call that she made towards the prime suspect, Iwasaki, the man spectacularly slipped.

Although the phone used was hers, I had them let Mina talk to the man first. And lo and behold, what I suspected turned out to be right. I gave him the benefit of the doubt but man, that Iwasaki was stupid.

As if he’s anticipating that call, the man immediately assumed that Auntie Yayoi was kidnapped. It’s like he’s acting out a script he prepared beforehand.

Through that, I was enlightened why Iwasaki had to hire someone else to forcefully take her out of the house.

With his proposal rejected by Auntie Yayoi, he also reached a conclusion that the reason for the rejection was her daughter, Mina.

The man planned to be the knight in shining armor that would help Mina get her mother back from the kidnappers. By letting himself come out as the hero, Mina would admire him for what he did. And by then, if he proposed again, he’s probably thinking that Mina would support him for her mother.

It’s quite a simple scheme, really. But he hadn’t anticipated that things wouldn’t go as planned. It’s an outrageously amateur plan.

“Mm… We can’t take more of your time, can we? I’m glad you’re the man my daughter picked.” Auntie Yayoi showed me a reassuring smile. She’s trying to show a strong front when in fact, she’s scared. Not for her safety, but for her daughter’s.

Anyway, I wasn’t picked by Mina. I somehow forced my way to be next to her or she eventually got tempted to try and interact with me after seeing Haruko and Himeko’s change.

It’s also a lucky coincidence that this incident happened during my visit. Although I wouldn’t undermine Auntie Yayoi’s courage to stand before them, she would never prevail against those three. Worse, even Mina might be implicated if that girl ran out to help her.

That might not be in their plan but accidents could happen anytime.

With that call to Iwasaki also recorded by us, that could be considered an added piece of evidence to file a case. Police investigators weren’t fools, right? Even though they could see that as allegations, it would be easy for them to connect the dots if they added Auntie Yayoi’s testimony.

But still, being outed like that, that guy might turn desperate to save his hide. That’s why I was a little reluctant to let her go there alone.

Mina wasn’t in the house anymore.

After that call to Iwasaki, I immediately called Haruko, or that’s what we told her mother. I let her take Mina to have her stay in their house for tonight. We told her about what happened, of course, so in less than an hour, she arrived in a hurry and took her away with her, leaving us alone here.

Well, I chose to be left behind because I promised Mina that I would help her mother. Unfortunately, her mother was also somewhat stubborn.

As she didn’t want to trouble me anymore, she told me to just go home and let her explain everything to the police.

But that wouldn’t fly, right?

I was the one in the video. For sure, I would also be called by them for my testimony.

“Auntie, you and Mina really are a pair of mother and daughter. Both born with some kind of stubbornness. Let me come with you. I’m not in a hurry and I… I’m doing this for your daughter. Besides, I’m not uninvolved at all.”

I changed my tone and although it’s somewhat disrespectful, I met her gaze directly. Showing her my determination not to leave her alone.

She could call me meddlesome but my last sentence was the truth. The moment I stepped in and shielded her from them, I already involved myself in this mess.

Auntie Yayoi remained standing in front of me, with nary an answer. I observed her minute reactions but apart from being a little taken aback because of my insistence, she completely went silent.

A minute later, Auntie Yayoi finally reacted. She lowered her head and dared not to meet my gaze again. Her face became somewhat flushed before a heavy sigh escaped her mouth.

“… No wonder my Mii-chan was all over you.” She whispered in a volume that’s barely audible. Nonetheless, I caught it clearly.

Whatever that reaction meant, I cast it to the back of my mind and didn’t dwell at it longer. What I wanted to hear was her compliance for me to come with her.

“If you so insist then wait for me outside. I’ll go and get changed.”

Looking as if she’s trying to escape from me, Auntie Yayoi walked away with hurried steps and into the curtained part of their house after saying that.

Following her words, I left the front door and waited for her to come out.

Five minutes later, Auntie Yayoi showed up in a white floral blouse and a black long skirt which was tightly wrapped around her waist.

Although my eyes somehow got stuck staring at her, Auntie Yayoi called out to me when she got in her car.

The nearest police station was a 10-minute ride, that's why they arrived quickly after Mina called for help. Those guys were just confident enough that they could take Auntie Yayoi and escape within that timeframe.

On the way there, Auntie Yayoi kept on thanking me, which I mostly deflected. In that kind of scenario, what I did was truly reckless of me. If I was any other guy who didn’t know any better, it could turn to worse.

Anyway, she also thanked me for contacting Mina’s ‘friend’ to keep her safe while the incident hadn’t been fully resolved yet.

Like I expected, the police also asked for my testimony for the case that she’s going to file.

We were also updated by the real identity of that man in suit and his thugs.

They’re apparently from a local gang that was already marked by the police. They then advised us to be careful as their reach was quite large.

As for Iwasaki, he’s going to be invited to the precinct to be investigated. Those he hired weren’t caught yet but the police officer that served us was positive that they’re going to catch them. Also, the charges for that man had a high chance to indict him and send him to jail.

No matter what, it’s a criminal offense even if his intention was only to put him up in Mina’s eyes as her mother’s savior.

In the end, they’d be placing some police lookout for Auntie Yayoi’s safety both in her house and in her salon while the case was underway.

Once we left the police station, Auntie Yayoi finally dropped her brave front as her body powerlessly slumped over the steering wheel. “Hey, Onoda-kun. I’m unlucky with men, aren’t I? And here I thought he’s a decent man unlike my…”

With me sitting next to her, I could only offer her comforting words. “I’m sure you’ll find a man that can treat you right, Auntie. I mean, you’re a wonderful woman in my eyes.”